bead maker (kharazi) (occupation), 64
beggars and beggary, 27–28, 34, 76–77,
185. See also letters of appeal
begging, structured, 175, 175n.5, 184
ben/bat/benei tovim (men/women of
good families), 67. See also “good
families”
ben/benei avot (of good families), 67.
See also “good families”
beneficiary lists. See alms lists
Benjamin of Tudela, 3, 115
Ben-Naeh, Yaron, 32n.62
Ben-Sasson, Menahem, 30n.58
Bible, 5–6, 88, 130, 150n.39
Bible, books of
Acts, 181
Deuteronomy, 6, 25, 38, 88–90, 91n.78,
122
Exodus, 89
Genesis, 157
Isaiah, 37, 102, 247
Jeremiah, 73, 88n.69
Leviticus, 88n.69, 90n.75, 122
Matthew, 109, 156
Proverbs, 6, 122, 190, 247
Psalms, 6, 142, 181–82, 247
2 Samuel, 143
Zechariah, 88n.69
biblical verses, in letters of appeal, 246–47
Bilbays, 115, 147
blessings, formulaic, 180n.29, 181
blindness, 171. See also disability
bookseller (warraq) (occupation), 57
Bordeaux, France, 70n.184
Bosl, K., 4
bread, distribution and consumption of,
158–62, 179, 207, 214, 217, 217n.100,
225, 227–28, 250
bribery of officials, 128–29, 135
Brodman, James W., 110n.4, 111n.6
broker (dallal, dallala) (occupation), 63, 65
brothers, and support of needy women,
192–94. See also family
Brown, Peter, 7, 186, 251
burial expenses, 197
busha (shame), 45, 47. See also shame
butcher (jazzar) (occupation), 61
Cairo. See also Fustat
as center of Jewish self-government,
21–22
proselyte from, 126–27
cake master (kaki) (occupation), 62
calculus of reciprocity, 189
Cambridge University Library, 10n.16
canon law, Christian, 142n.13
cantor (hazzan) (occupation), 60
cantors, as foreigners, 75
captives
of crusaders, 114–18
of pirates or warships, 111–14, 118n.30,
119
captives, Christian, 110n.4, 111n.6, 175
captives, Muslim, 110
captives, ransom and care of, 26–27, 29, 77,
109–14, 119–21, 239
according to halakha, 121–23
“captives of debt,” 133–36
Caro, Joseph, 90n.75
carpenter (najjar) (occupation), 61
carp pickle maker (bunni) (occupation), 56
census of needy heads of household, 83
charity
, 24–25. See also halakha (Jewish
law); Mishneh T
orah
as duty, 55, 69–70, 243, 251
private vs. public, 107, 147, 189–90,
222–24, 236–37, 244
redemptive value of, 202
charity, private, 6, 20, 28, 68, 95, 107, 109,
155, 187n.49, 197–98, 235
and petitions, 184–85
and ransom of captives, 109–10
and wills, 195–96
charity, public, 6–7, 28–29, 82, 147–55,
197–204, 235. See also alms lists;
donor lists; mezonot (maintenance); pi-
ous foundation (heqdesh); quppa
(dole); tamhui (soup kitchen)
cheese, consumption of, 163
cheese maker (jabban) (occupation), 61
children, 127, 137, 153, 160, 165, 183,
183n.39, 215. See also orphans
Christianity, poverty and charity in, 3–5, 38,
40, 70–71, 156–58, 181, 186–87,
191n.7, 239
Christians, former, 125–29
circular appeals, 29, 115–18, 225
class differentiation, 67–70. See also
taxonomy of the poor
clothier (bazzaz) (occupation), 64
clothing, 166–67, 170, 197, 232–33, 237–38
Code of Maimonides. See Mishneh Torah
Compound of the Jerusalemites, 81, 203
Compound of the Poor (heqdesh), 238–39
INDEX 279